A Holby City scene in which a One Direction fan expresses her desire to kill Perrie Edwards with a chainsaw has been defended by the BBC.

Eyebrows were raised earlier this week when an actor on the drama was taken to hospital after fainting at a One Direction signing.

The fictional storyline then saw the fan say: "I’ve got it all worked out, all I have to do is track down Perrie Edwards, cut off her head with a rusty chainsaw, marry Zayn and have all his babies."

The mother of Little Mix star Edwards, who is engaged to One Direction's Malik, expressed her sadness over the scene on Twitter, whilst fans from both bands have spoken out.

However, the BBC have since issued a statement to calm things down, saying that the scene - which has received 30 complaints - wasn't intended to cause offence.

They said: "The line ­referencing Perrie Edwards was made to emphasise the character Kayleigh’s devotion to One ­Direction. It was absolutely not intended to be taken seriously and clearly in the context is not intended to cause offence."